Page 19 - North Haven Magazine Issue 23 Spring 2022

Cannon and first gazebo on the Green 1920s

It has always been important to North Haveners that those who
served during times of war be honored and remembered. (A
monument honoring those lost in the Civil War was the topic
of discussion for many years – the complete story can be found
in a previous issue of North Haven Magazine.) The Green has
become the place to publicly acknowledge these individuals.
The first such monument installed there was the large cannon
pointing south. It honored those lost in the Civil War - the Sol-
dier’s Monument. The cannon was placed on the Green in 1905,
after being dragged from New Haven by sled across the snow
that winter. The Stiles Brickyard contributed the sled and horses,
and the cannon came from a set of four at Lighthouse Point – it
was donated by the US Government. North Haveners, including
schoolchildren, raised money to build the base upon which it
sits. Records indicate that the schoolchildren donated $35.36 of
the $900 required to install the cannon as it now appears. May-
be that is why children still seem so drawn to the cannon, even
climbing it when they can get away with it! Since then, sadly,
more memorials have been erected; let us hope still more are
not needed.

View of the Green 1905

Like so many spots in North Haven, a little reading about the
origins of our town green reveals a deep history. There is also
much more to its story than what I have recounted here. To learn
more, visit the North Haven Historical Society; there is a wealth
of information to be had there!

Thanks, as always, to the archives of the North Haven Histori-
cal Society.

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